Entering new worlds is embedded in the DNA of the US space agency
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There are countless NASA missions that have taken off from Earth and have ventured to explore the cosmos and the Solar System. In a few years, another mission will join those that have already made history and will be in charge of reveal the mysteries from a well-known moon of saturn.
Discovering Titan with the Dragonfly mission
The Dragonfly mission has been confirmed on the NASA website and is presented as the ideal opportunity, not only to learn more about Titanthe largest satellite of Saturn, but of test one of the most ambitious drones of the history of the space agency.
We already know several facts about this missionwhich, in principle, should take off with heading to Titan in July 2028 and that will have a total cost of 3.35 billion dollarsas confirmed by the US space agency itself.
The costs have doubled compared to the initial forecasts, partly due to the past pandemic and partly due to the increase in the cost of some components, and the start date has also been seen delayedcompared to what was initially predicted.
It is planned that the peculiar aircraft from the Dragonfly mission reach Titan in the year 2034 and serve as a first step to know if the necessary conditions on this moon so that life make way, although the latest research is not very encouraging in this regard. A study published in the Astrobiology medium offers little hope.
He drone will travel to different locations of Titan and will search what are known as ‘prebiotic chemical processes’that is, those organic molecules that could give rise to life on Earth will be sought.
The Dragonfly mission is being designed at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and includes the manufacture of a eight rotor aircraft, capable of flying as if it were a giant drone. According to NASA information, this will also be the first time that the agency flies a scientific vehicle on another planetary body.
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